Uninsured Motorists Face Civil Penalties Effective Nov. 1

MONTGOMERY – The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is set to begin enforcing the Alabama Mandatory Liability Insurance Law (Act#2016-361).

Last year, during the 2016 legislative session, the law was passed and signed by the Governor to mandate all Alabama motorists have liability insurance. Beginning Wednesday, Nov. 1, those who choose to drive without liability insurance will face a civil penalty.

The MLI law provides that no person shall operate, register or maintain registration of a motor vehicle designed to be used on a public road or highway unless it is covered by a liability insurance policy.

Alabama’s Secretary of Law Enforcement Hal Taylor said, “There has been a grace period in enforcing that law to give motorists time to obtain the proper insurance coverage. Beginning Nov. 1, motorists are subject to a civil penalty if involved in a motor vehicle incident, the vehicle you are operating is not covered by the state’s mandatory liability insurance and you are not issued a citation for no insurance at the time of the incident.” (First offense: $200; second offense: $300; third or subsequent offenses: $400 each.)

In addition, Secretary Taylor said, those individuals will face a 90-day driver license suspension if they do not pay the civil penalty within 45 days or request a hearing with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Driver License Division. (Driver license reinstatement fee: $100.) If a driver is issued a civil penalty, due process provides the option to appeal, and a hearing will be conducted to determine whether the motor vehicle being operated at the time of the motor vehicle incident was in compliance with the law.

Alabama Department of Insurance Commissioner Jim Ridling said, “It just makes sense to have liability insurance on your vehicle because operating a motor vehicle without it drives up everyone’s rates. Do the right thing, and follow Alabama’s Mandatory Liability Insurance laws to help stabilize rates for Alabama insurance consumers.”